The present invention relates to a method of using steam ironing of fabrics as a way of causing reduction of physiological and/or subjective reactivity to stress in humans that have been subjected to such stress. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for using steam ironing of fabrics as a way of causing reduction of physiological and/or subjective reactivity to stress in humans by employing the beneficial effects of aromatherapy during steam ironing.
Human reactivity to stress is insidious because even though it does not directly incapacitate a human, researchers have discovered that stress decreases productivity, and eventually may lead to illness. This reactivity to stress can be brought about by the repetitive or chronic strains of everyday life. Research in this area has shown that the daily hassle, as measured by self-report, is more strongly associated with somatic health than are life event scores. That is, the frequency and intensity of hassles are significantly related to somatic illness (A. Delongis, et al, Health Psychology, 1981, 1 (2), 119-136). Chronic reactivity, as measured by elevated blood pressure, particularly systolic blood pressure, is correlated with disease. By use of a portable blood pressure-measuring device, it has been shown that regularly recurring stress (specifically that occurring in the work place) correlates with the occurrence of left ventricular hypertrophy. In particular, it has been shown that the correlation exists in patients showing elevated systolic blood pressures while actually engaged in their workday tasks (R. B. Devereux, et al, Circulation 68, No. 3, 470-476, 1983). In another study, blood pressures measured every 15 minutes for 24 hours in 25 normal subjects, 25 borderline subjects and 25 established hypertensive subjects showed significantly higher blood pressures at work than at home, at the physician""s office or while sleeping. (T. G. Pickering, et al, Clinical and Experimental Hypertension, A4(4and5), 675-693 1982).
The classical techniques used for controlling reactivity to stress include biofeedback, meditation and drugs. With respect to biofeedback, in one study, researchers used a constant-cuff technique and gave feedback and reinforcement for the lowering of systolic blood pressure in seven patients, five of whom had been diagnosed as having essential hypertension. The five patients with hypertension responded positively, all showing significant decreases in their systolic blood pressures after 30 sessions of training (Benson, H., Shapiro, D., Tursky, B., and Schwartz, G. E., Science, 1971, 173, 740-742). Other physiological parameters used for biofeedback training include pulse transit time, electromyogram activity and skin resistance biofeedback.
The type of relaxation training techniques used for the treatment of hypertension are variations of either certain Eastern meditative disciplines, progressive relaxation techniques or autogenic training. These techniques are intended to lower blood pressure by promoting physical and mental relaxation. Specific examples of such techniques are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,463 issued on Jun. 2, 1987 to Craig B. Warren et al. A review of the use of biofeedback and relaxation techniques for the treatment of hypertension can be found in: Surwit, et al, xe2x80x9cBehavioral Approaches to Cardiovascular Diseasexe2x80x9d, Behavorial Medicine Series, Academic Press, 1982, 139-156.
Chemical agents have also been used to modify the effects of stress, tension, anxiety and dysphoria throughout recorded history, such as ethanol, bromide salts and barbiturates. Again, U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,463 issued on Jun. 2, 1987 to Craig B. Warren et al. offers a good account of such other methods.
Aromatherapy is another method for reducing physiological and/or subjective reactivity to stress in humans. In fact, it is currently a burgeoning industry that has led to the commercial success of a vast variety of aromatherapy oils, soaps, perfumes, massage treatments and the like. The term xe2x80x9cAromatherapyxe2x80x9d is intended herein to mean the use of plant-derived substances; volatile substances derived from plants for the treatment of health problems. Generally, the volatile fractionxe2x80x94the essential oil fractionxe2x80x94of the plant-derived substance is used. The use of the volatile fractions of plants for treatment of various ailments is reviewed in the following three monographs: (1) J. Valnet, xe2x80x9cThe Practice of Aromatherapyxe2x80x9d, Destiny Books (Division of Inner Traditions International, Ltd.), New York, N.Y., 1982; (2) R. Tisserand, xe2x80x9cThe Art of Aromatherapyxe2x80x9d, Destiny Books (Division of Inner Traditions International, Ltd.), New York, N.Y., 1983; and (3) A. Leung, xe2x80x9cEncyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredientsxe2x80x9d, J. Wiley and Sons Publishing Co., New York, N.Y., 1980. A detailed analysis of the aromatherapy folk medicine literature suggested that a number of essential oils commonly used in perfumery might have a multiplicity of medical effects. Some of these oils are employed in the practice of this invention. U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,463 issued on Jun. 2, 1987 to Craig B. Warren et al. offers a good account of such aromatherapy oils.
While different aromatherapy techniques have been used in the past, such as bath gels, bath oils, soaps, aromatherapy perfumes, there has been the need for having some other novel method that exploits the well documented benefits of aromatherapy in stress reduction in a manner that is easy to use and practice on a daily basis.
The inventors of the subject invention have discovered that by using plant-derived substances common to the fields of perfumery and aromatherapy in a steam iron along with water, can result in an easy to practice method for reducing stress. The dose levels of the aromatherapy oils and perfumes, however, differ from those normally employed in either perfumery or aromatherapy and the mode of application differs from those normally employed for aromatherapy. But by using selected doses of such oils and perfumes in the steam iron, an individual can experience some degree of stress relaxation while at the same time accomplishing the essential task of ironing fabrics.
Thus although the materials employed in the practice of this invention are known in the art and are known to exhibit physiologic activity, insofar as the inventors of the subject invention have been able to ascertain, no suggestion relevant to reducing physiological and/or subjective reactivity to stress during the process of steam ironing of fabrics is made in the prior art.
It has been desirable to have an easy to use method for causing the reduction of physiological and/or subjective reactivity to stress in a human being subjected to stress conditions (such as the daily hassles of the work place). It has been further desirable to develop a method for causing reduction of physiological and/or subjective reactivity to stress in a human being subjected to conditions of stress by administering to such a human an effective amount of an aromatherapeutic active material. It has still further been desirable to have a method for causing the reduction of physiological and/or subjective reactivity to stress in a human being subjected to stress conditions by administering transdermally and/or by means of inhalation an effective amount of an active material in an aesthetically pleasing form, such as, for example, a perfume or an aromatherapeutic oil.
The present invention overcomes the problems, as set forth above.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,463 issued on Jun. 2, 1987 to Craig B. Warren et al. discloses various types of aromatherapy oils and perfumes, and is incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,595, issued on Jun. 18, 1996 to Denis Daulasim et al. relates to a steam iron equipped with a cartridge for treating water or cloth to be ironed. This patent, which discloses enabling embodiments of steam irons and vaporization chamber mechanisms, is incorporated by reference.
The invention meets the needs above by providing a method of using steam ironing of fabrics as a way of causing reduction of physiological and/or subjective reactivity to stress in a human, a method for promoting aromatherapeutic effect in a human while the human is engaged in a task of steam ironing a fabric, and a method of using aromatheraphy during steam ironing for causing reduction of physiological and/or subjective reactivity to stress in a human.
In one aspect of the present invention, the method of using steam ironing of fabrics as a way of causing reduction of physiological and/or subjective reactivity to stress in a human includes the steps of providing a stress reducing composition comprising one or more of a volatile natural essential oil, and water. The composition is adapted to not cause staining of fabrics. The method includes delivering the stress reducing composition into a liquid container of a steam iron and heating the steam iron. The method further includes releasing vapors of the stress reducing composition produced within the liquid container of the steam iron upon heating, into ambient air. The method still further includes the step of causing reduction of physiological and/or subjective reactivity to stress in the human by one or more of transdermal ingestion or inhalation of the vapors by the human.
In another aspect of the present invention, the method for promoting aromatherapeutic effect in a human while the human is engaged in a task of steam ironing a fabric includes the steps of providing an aromatherapeutically active composition comprising one or more of a volatile natural essential oil, and water. The oil is adapted for promoting an aromatherapeutic effect in a human. The composition is also adapted to not cause staining of fabrics. The method also includes delivering the aromatherapeutically active composition into a liquid container of an steam iron and heating the steam iron. The method also includes releasing vapors of the aromatherapeutically active composition produced within the liquid container of the steam iron upon heating, into ambient air. The method further includes promoting aromatherapeutic effect in the human by one or more of transdermal ingestion or inhalation of the vapors by the human.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, the method of using aromatherapy during steam ironing for causing reduction of physiological and/or subjective reactivity to stress in a human includes the steps of providing an aromatherapeutically active composition comprising one or more of a volatile natural essential oil, and water. The composition is adapted to not cause staining of fabrics. The method includes delivering the aromatherapeutically active composition into a liquid container of a steam iron and heating the steam iron. The method includes releasing vapors of the aromatherapeutically active composition produced within the liquid container of the steam iron upon heating, into ambient air. The method also includes causing reduction of physiological and/or subjective reactivity to stress in the human by one or more of transdermal ingestion or inhalation of the vapors by the human.